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Topic: Advice for a JRPG noob

Posts 1 to 20 of 46

antonvaltaz

I've never really got into RPGs, but always feel I should have (I love adventure games like the Zelda series and they seem the next logical step). A while back I bought some SNES RPGs for the Wii and Wii U VC (Final Fantasy II [IV]; Final Fantasy III [VI]; Chrono Trigger; Secret of Mana; Earthbound) as well as Phantasy Star for the SMS. I also have various Mega Drive ones sitting on my laptop from Steam (Phantasy Star II-IV; Beyond Oasis; Landstalker; Light Crusader etc).

So, now I have a 3DS and a Wii U, and am wondering what I should do to get into the genre. Are any of the 16-bit ones above a good introduction? Or am I better getting a more modern title for one of those systems (everyone raves about Xenoblade Chronicles, but not sure if that's noob-friendly). I'm worried that if I start with later titles I will find the earlier ones unplayable (although generally I like 16-bit era games). My wife is getting me Pokémon Y for Christmas, is that a sort of RPG or not?

Any suggestions?

antonvaltaz

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antonvaltaz

Thanks Tasuki for the prompt reply. I did see that thread but it's a bit different for me... unlike the OP there I've never really got into RPGs in the first place. He seems to be looking for advice to catch up, I'm looking more for advice to get into the genre to begin with.

Also I am limited to what is available for Wii U and 3DS and their download stores, so much of that other thread is not directly relevant (can't afford any more gaming hardware right now!). Thanks anyway!

antonvaltaz

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8BitSamurai

Final Fantasy IV, VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana are good starts for the SNES, and they're all masterpiece RPG's. EarthBound, I wouldn't recommend for a beginner. The story is pretty light and has charm, but the gameplay is very old-school and traditional. Might seem a little boring for a newcomer. Phantasy Star II and III are definitely not beginner RPG's either, way too much grinding and old-school mechanics. IV is a little better in that regard, but I wouldn't recommend it. Couldn't tell you on the other Genesis ones, though.

Xenoblade would probably be pretty decent for a beginner too. As for whether or not modern RPG's would spoiler you, I guess I would say it depends on how much you enjoy retro games in general.

But, if you want the perfect beginner RPG, pick up a PS1 (Cheap, $30), and Wild Arms (Also cheap, $15). That is easily the best gateway RPG I've played. Interesting characters and story, style has charm, will introduce you to most RPG mechanics without ever being overwhelming, and the wild west themes are just... cool!

If not that, I would recommend Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VII ($12 on Steam, which you already seem to have some RPG's for.)

Edit: Ah, sorry, wrote that from an American gamer's perspective. Still, should be relevant.

Edited on by 8BitSamurai

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RR529

I'm surprised no one has mentioned:

  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
  • Paper Mario

Both are available on Wii's VC service, and are about as beginner friendly as you can get.

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Usagi-san

What about Bravely Default? it has an easy mode if you're worried about the difficulty.

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ejamer

My suggestion: don't buy more until you play some of what you've got.

The old SNES Final Fantasy games are both very good introductions to the genre, although I think 3 (aka Final Fantasy VI) is a better choice because the translation work is better. Based on what you've said, I'd recommend starting there to see what you think.

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CanisWolfred

I second Paper Mario, and I'll throw in a Kingdom Hearts. They're both more basic and will teach you more about what to and what to expect from your average RPG. Paper Mario will also ease you into the slower pace of RPGs (battles, towns, strategizing, etc. are all things that I at least found difficult to get a handle on for quite a while), which I know tends to frustrate people.

I actually don't recommend starting with a Final Fantasy game unless you just want to jump into the deep end. Most of them are fairly complicated and the early games don't do much in the way of telling you what to do. If you don't already know to talk to everybody, right things down, check items, hell, even equiping stuff you just bought, it can be a very rough learning experience.

That said, if I had to choose one FF game to play, I'd pick FF7. There's a reason it made RPGs mainstream for a time, and that's because it's the best in the series at easing people into the games without being boring, something this whole genre has difficulty doing. Its on Steam, and shouldn't require a great PC to run.

Edited on by CanisWolfred

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mamp

RR529 wrote:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned:

  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
  • Paper Mario

Both are available on Wii's VC service, and are about as beginner friendly as you can get.

This and the games are just amazing.

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antonvaltaz

mamp wrote:

RR529 wrote:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned:

  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
  • Paper Mario

Both are available on Wii's VC service, and are about as beginner friendly as you can get.

This and the games are just amazing.

The more I'm thinking about it, the more I think I'll probably get through a JRPG if I have it in a portable format. Given the suggestions above about Mario RPGs, do any of the Mario & Luigi games on DS or 3DS come recommended?

antonvaltaz

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Geonjaha

Dragon Quest V. Solid recommendation. DS version.

Geonjaha

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antonvaltaz

Geonjaha wrote:

Dragon Quest V. Solid recommendation. DS version.

Thanks @Geonjaha - I looked it up. First thought: yikes, it's £35 on Amazon UK! Seems a lot for a DS game from 2009.

Second thought: looks to have very good reviews, but is it really beginner-friendly? Seems quite hardcore to me...

antonvaltaz

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Ralizah

Pokemon X and Y are a good My First RPG. They're simply and extremely fun.

Final Fantasy VII, IX, and X are also pretty good introductions to the genre, and I know VII is available on Steam now.

The World Ends With You is a fantastic DS RPG.

If you want to take a plunge into the deep end, so to speak, try playing Etrian Odyssey IV on normal difficulty. You can switch to a lighter difficulty if you need to, and it would be a superb introduction to both ATLUS games as well as the dungeon-crawler subgenre. The game can be brutally difficult on the normal setting, but that's part of the experience. Create a team of people, map out the huge, secret-filled floors of various dungeons (the game involves cartography, and the entire touch screen is dedicated to a map-creating system), and experience the tension as your team battles through hordes of cute animals and runs like hell from gigantic mini-bosses swarming the various levels. If you die, you get to keep your map data, and IV is better about not letting a random butterfly on the next floor wipe out your team of seasoned warriors.

Edited on by Ralizah

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Geonjaha

antonvaltaz wrote:

Geonjaha wrote:

Dragon Quest V. Solid recommendation. DS version.

Thanks @Geonjaha - I looked it up. First thought: yikes, it's £35 on Amazon UK! Seems a lot for a DS game from 2009.

Second thought: looks to have very good reviews, but is it really beginner-friendly? Seems quite hardcore to me...

Yeah unfortunately not many copies of the game were actually made. Don't worry - it's very beginner friendly and quite approachable by those even new to RPG's (My sister who'd never played an RPG before tried it out and finished the game). If you cant find it for a lower price I'd maybe go for Dragon Quest VI or IX instead also for the DS - you could probably pick up either of those for £15 or less (Currently £12.50 and £8.50 new respectively on Amazon UK at the moment). Not as good as V in my opinion, but still very good in their own right.

Edited on by Geonjaha

Geonjaha

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shingi_70

The snes stuff is a good start. i'd also try starting games like Fire Emblem or Kingdom hearts which are AJRPS and easier to get into.

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antonvaltaz

shingi_70 wrote:

The snes stuff is a good start. i'd also try starting games like Fire Emblem or Kingdom hearts which are AJRPS and easier to get into.

What's an AJRPS? (Google didn't help me!)

antonvaltaz

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Wheeler

shingi_70 wrote:

The snes stuff is a good start. i'd also try starting games like Fire Emblem or Kingdom hearts which are AJRPS and easier to get into.

Fire Emblem is not an ARPG. You're right on KH.

Wheeler

Nintenjoe64

@antonvaltaz
I used to love Squaresoft's JRPGs in the SNES era but then when FFVII game out I couldn't believe that it was the game that was supposedly setting the world alight and it took me years to get into any other kind of JRPG. Xenoblade restored my faith in the genre so I would recommend that. If you haven't played Earthbound I would definitely recommend it because it sums up why I loved RPGs when the SNES was king. Super Mario RPG is also an easy on the eyes (and brain) old school adventure.

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